Why are we racing to be so old? I'm up late pacing the floor I won't be told You have your reservations I'm bought and sold I'll face the music I'll face the facts Even when we walk in polka dots and chequer slacks Bowing and squawking Running after titbits Bobbing and squinting Just like a nitwit Two little Hitlers will fight it out until One little Hitler does the other one's will I will return I will not burn

Down in the basement I need my head examined I need my eyes excited I'd like to join the party But I was not invited You make a member of me I'll be delighted I wouldn't cry for lost souls, you might drown Dirty words for dirty minds Written in a toilet town Dial me a Valentine She's a smooth operator It's all so calculated She's got a calculator She's my soft touch typewriter And I'm the great dictator Two little Hitlers will fight it out until One little Hitler does the other one's will I will return I will not burn A simple game of self-respect You flick a switch and the world goes off Nobody jumps as you expect I would have thought you would have had enough by now You call selective dating For some effective mating I thought I'd let you down, dear But you were just deflating I knew right from the start We'd end up hating Pictures of the merchandise Plastered on the wall We can look so long as we don't have to talk at all You say you'll never know him He's an unnatural man He doesn't want your pleasure He wants as no one can He wants to know the names of All those he's better than Two little Hitlers will fight it out until One little Hitler does the other one's will I will return I will not burn I will return I will not burn (repeats)

Today’s slow drag is with “Two Little Hitlers,” from “Armed Forces,” released in 1979. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello.

Written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA

Twitter: @slowdragremedy

Email: [email protected]

Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com

Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag

References:

Elvis Costello Wiki Resource: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Little_Atoms

“Two Little Hitlers” http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Two_Little_Hitlers

“Two Little Hitlers” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkyMYl_u2H0

https://singledatingdiva.com/2015/09/02/finding-the-ideal-partner-requires-selective-dating/

Grammy nomination surprise: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/awards/8546756/elvis-costello-grammy-rule-change-nomination

Todd Rundgren cover of “Two Little Hitlers” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc6cI_BNlBg

“Taste of Honey” “Boogie Oogie Oogie”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYWkG_DI5OE

"Two Little Hitlers" Lyrics

Previous Episode

23 :: False and Lovely Modesty :: A Slow Drag with "Little Atoms"

Today’s slow drag is with “Little Atoms,” from “All This Useless Beauty,” released in 1996. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello's birth name.

Written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA

Twitter: @slowdragremedy

Email: [email protected]

Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com

Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag

References:

Elvis Costello Wiki Resource: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Little_Atoms

“Little Atoms” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7OSkO1vG7I

Rolling Stone review of “All This Useless Beauty” https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/all-this-useless-beauty-204765/

“All This Useless Beauty” review: https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-this-useless-beauty-mw0000173695

A “conceit”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conceit

Elvis Costello, “Little Atoms,” “Larry Sanders”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unpbrKHtSSE

1 Corinthians 13: http://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/1COR+13.html

"Little Atoms" Lyrics

I arose and Marigold lay down with Curious Iris Cherry gave to Victor her prudence and her virus For the sake of purity I can recall the time and place Between Wisdom and Murder she gave up her immaculate face (Chorus:) My poor belated chastity fell foul of grown up games, With false and lovely modesty I can recall the names I'll miss In the particle of me that cares for this I betrayed those little atoms with a kiss Patience has her virtue still but every grace must have its price I through some felicity may spin a tale of constant vice I took my better nature out, drowned it in the babbling stream Took the blossom of my youth and blew it all to smithereens (Repeat Chorus) And if you still don't like my song / then you can just go to hell I don't care if I'm right or wrong / or if my typewriter can spell But I cannot promise you I've said "Goodbye" to childish things There's still some pretty insults left and such sport in threatening (Repeat Chorus) And for the sake of clarity They are "Faith", "Hope", and "Charity" In the particle of me that cares for this I betrayed those little atoms with a kiss

Next Episode

25 :: Tough and Transparent :: A Slow Drag with "Crimes of Paris"

Today’s slow drag is with “Crimes of Paris,” from “Blood and Chocolate,” released in 1986. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello’s birth name.

Written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson

Twitter: @slowdragremedy

Email: [email protected]

Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com

References:

Elvis Costello Wiki Resource: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Crimes_Of_Paris

“Crimes of Paris” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97L6Ukrmrk4

Kurt Vonnegut quote regarding love: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/91604-if-somebody-says-i-love-you-to-me-i-feel

Hunter S. Thompson, the bats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC4nP9LA3T4

Duplicate lyrics, “Suffering Face” Wiki Resource: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Suffering_Face

“Suffering Face”: https://www.megalyrics.net/elvis-costello/suffering-face

“Freytag’s Pyramid”: https://blog.reedsy.com/narrative-arc/

“Leave My Kitten Alone” liner notes: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Leave_My_Kitten_Alone

“Leave My Kitten Alone” EC cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVf0HMWmDvE

“Q” Magazine interview, “Kojak Variety” http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/File:1995-06-00_Q_page_28.jpg

"Crimes in Paris" Lyrics:

I thought it was you with your optimist's view of the clock And how it's always another day Just after twelve o'clock's struck Said "Now I only want you so I don't have to promise" But tiny children in grown-up clothes whispered all the Crimes of Paris Chorus: You're not the girl next door or a girl from France Or the cigarette-girl in the sizzle hot-pants All the words of love seem cruel and crass When you're tough and transparent as armored glass You're an everywhere girl in an everyday mess Who'll pay for the Crimes of Paris I heard that you fell for the "Hell or to Hammersmith Blues" In the tiny torn up pieces of his mind, he's irresistible too It's hard to say now if he's only stupid or is smart As he crawled through the door And poured out more of his (weeping) creeping-Jesus heart (Chorus) And it's all here and now She hits him with that paper-weight Eiffel Tower And I tried to hold on to you, but I don't know how And I find it hard to swallow good advice Like going down three times to only come up twice Come up twice She's so convenient, he's always stiff as hair-lacquer It's hard to discover now he's in love with her It was her way of getting her own back

He never did anything she couldn't do on her own You're as good as your word and that's no good to her You'd better leave that kitten alone (Chorus)